Lorraine Antoinette "Toni" Roddy

Toni was born in New York City on October 21, 1940, the daughter of the late H. Wilfred and Rita Lilly, and spent the first part of her childhood in New York City with her parents, her younger brother, Pat, and her large extended family. In 1955, Toni moved with her family to Moline, Illinois where she attended Villa de Chantal and in 1962, she graduated from Newton College of the Sacred Heart.

While at Newton College of the Sacred Heart, Toni met Jim Johnston who attended Boston College. Toni and Jim married on 1/26/63 and tragically, he contracted ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and died in 1974 as their small family had barely begun. With the support of her extended family members and her strong Catholic faith, Toni persevered and continued to be a loving and caring mother for her three young children after Jim’s passing.

In late 1976, she met and in 1977, married Joe Roddy, who had three sons of his own - Buzz, John-David, and Chuck. Toni became the Matriarch to six children and became actively involved in her children’s schools (Landon, Georgetown Visitation and Gonzaga). They lived a full life together until Joe’s decline, during which she lovingly tended to him, while at the same time managing to be a mother and grandmother with many interests and activities. Toni took great joy in welcoming her 12 grandchildren to the family and was an integral part of their lives – attending as many of their sporting events as humanly possible.

After Joe died in 2022, rather than succumb to this hardship, Toni continued with her resilient and vivacious spirit through her many trips here and abroad with her friends and family, golfing and playing tennis at the Chevy Chase Club, spending time with many new friends in Vero Beach, FL and being a regular parishioner at St. Ann Catholic Church. Toni was a woman of considerable grit, strength, compassion and smarts. She enjoyed a glass of chardonnay-cup ice on the side. Toni smiled often and took delight in a good joke. Toni was her family’s hero and was an exemplar of the great power of steadfast and unconditional love.

Toni is survived by her three children, Scott (Erin) Johnston, Pam (Marc) Boland, Kristin (Paul) Wardour, Joe’s two surviving children, Buzz (Laurie Dawn) Roddy, and Chuck (Sue) Roddy, her 12 grandchildren, James Johnston, Matty Johnston, Liza Johnston, Faith Gardner-Johnston, Patrick Boland, Ryan Boland, Connor Boland, Luke Wardour, Lilly Wardour, Coco (Sarah) Wardour, Colin Roddy, Will Roddy, her brother, Pat (Peggy) Lilly, and many extended relatives and friends simply too numerous to mention.

Mass of Christian burial will occur on December 20, 2024, at 10 AM at St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 4001 Yuma Street, NW, Washington, DC. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations may be made in Jim Johnston’s memory to The ALS Association, 1300 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22209.